Þul Sverða 9III/8 — Níðhǫggr ‘Níðhǫggr’
Fellir, fǫlvir, Fáfnir, raufnir,
ímnir, eimnir, afspringr, þinurr,
sigðir, snyrtir, svelgr, skarr ok nár,
Góinn, gest-Móinn ok gárr, þrimarr, Níðhǫggr.
Fellir, fǫlvir, Fáfnir, raufnir, ímnir, eimnir, afspringr, þinurr, sigðir, snyrtir, svelgr, skarr ok nár, Góinn, gest-Móinn ok gárr, þrimarr, Níðhǫggr.
Feller, pale one, Fáfnir, piercer, battler, flamer, afspringr, fir, scythe, polisher, swallower, cutter and corpse, Góinn, guest-Móinn and rippled one, thunderer, Níðhǫggr.
notes
[8] Níðhǫggr: Lit. ‘wicked-striker’, the name of a mythical serpent (see Note to Þul Orma 3/1; and cf. the names of other serpents in ll. 2 and 7 above). It is likely that the implied meaning of this sword-heiti is ‘serpent’. Alternatively, it could be a characterising heiti (see Gurevich 1992c); if so, the sense is ‘wicked-striker’ (from níð n. ‘libel’ and the strong verb hǫggva ‘strike, bite’). The name is also listed in Þul Dverga 2/2. It is not attested elsewhere as a term for ‘sword’.